She Walks in Starlight
by TheLonelyStar
Summary: What if there was another woman in the TARDIS when Rose arrived? One who knew the Doctor,as he knew her, like no other. How would the story change? What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

_**They call our planet Inlustris, starlight in latin, due to the shimmering hue that every native being and object emits. It is a soft glow, silver in some cases but gold in others, like the gentle, flickering light of a candle. The light is easily compared to the twinkling light of the stars, hence the name, and is a great source of curiosity for visitors, as few as we have. This glow, you see, is not a reflection from the moon or sun. We do not have either. The glow is the only source of light on our planet, and the foreign scientists have yet to figure out just what it is and why it occurs. But we, who have lived with it for centuries, understand it completely and fully as the embodiment of an object's essence. The essence is what causes something to exist, it is it's life energy, what causes it to manifest in the Solid realm, what keeps it grounded and not floating in the Light, where essences are created and reborn. The glow is caused by the energy being released, keeping the object solid. My people can read the lights, interpret them, communicate through them. Some High Priestesses of the Sisterhood of Three can leave their bodies and navigate through the lights, taking a sort of ghostly form, but most simply use the light as a way to convey emotions and desires not expressed directly.**_

_**Most do not understand that it is not in the nature of my people to converse aloud. We are a telepathic community, bound by emotion and thought, a common ground so deep it is unnecessary to express ourselves through speech. Visitors think us mute, when we have visitors, because of our lack of interaction, the majority of us refusing to project into the minds of the humans and androids and others who come looking for trade or friendships.**_

_**The Time Lords were a different story.**_

I awoke to voices in the control room. Blinking awake, I sat up, my spirit rising out of my catatonic body, leaving behind the Solid and entering the Light.

"...It's gonna follow us!" A female voice with a strong accent pierced the silence of the TARDIS. I cocked my head, trying to place the accent. It was definitely Earth, British maybe?

"The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried. Now shut up a minute." My Doctor's voice made itself known.

Grinning, I closed my eyes and focused, allowing the dearest TARDIS to guide my spirit to the console room. When I opened them, I had appeared next to the Doctor, who was too busy trying to hook up what looked like a plastic head to the console. Rolling my eyes at his actions, I turned my attention to the blonde trembling against the door. Her blue eyes locked onto me and widened, confused about my sudden appearance.

_Doctor_, I began, _Who is this?_ He waved me off, to my annoyance, to continue speaking to the young earthling.

"You see, the arm is too simple, but the head's perfect!" The girl appeared overwhelmed.

_Perfect for what?_ I questioned.

"I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source. Right." He whipped around to face the blonde. "where do you want to start?"

_How about,_ I cut in, my irritation at being ignored growing, _WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?_

The Doctor flinched at the volume I projected into his head. "Ah, sorry Shi. I didn't notice you there."

I raised an eyebrow, not impressed. My light grew stronger in my agitation and the console room began to be illuminated by a flickering silver glow. He gazed nervously into my eyes, waiting for a response.

"Um… The inside's bigger than the outside?" The stranger interrupted timidly, glancing between the Doctor and I. He turned to her in relief.

"Yes."

"It's alien."

"Yup."

"Are you alien?"

"Yes," He grew uncomfortable under her stare. "Is that alright?"

"Yeah," She said quickly.

_Theta?_ I pushed.

"Hmm? Oh," He waved me forward. "Rose, this is Shira. Shira, this is Rose Tyler."

_Greetings earthling,_ I projected warmly to both of them.

Rose jumped. "What..?"

The Doctor cut her off, "Shi's telepathic, she doesn't speak aloud."

"Oh," She was bewildered. "Greetings, erm, alien."

The Doctor eyed her, noting her confused state. "It's called the TARDIS, this thing. T-A-R-D-I-S, that's Time And Relative Dimension In Space." Rose gave a small whimper."That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us."

Shaking my head at my friend's antics, I listened intently to the conversation, trying to piece together what was going on.

Rose was worried."Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?"

"Oh," the Doctor was stumped. "I didn't think of that."

_Doctor, what did you do?_

"Oi!" He turned on me, "why is it always my fault?"

_That's an excellent question,_ my voice was dry. He cut his eyes at me.

Rose spoke again, agitation in her voice, "He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head - they copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?!"

"Melt?" The Doctor was confused. He turned to the plastic head just in time to see it melting and bubbling. "Oh, no no no no no NO!"

Rose and I watched, she in confused anger and I with concealed amusement, as he frantically ran around the console pressing buttons and flipping switches.

"What're you doing?!" Rose exclaimed.

"Reviving the signal, it's fading! Wait I've got it…" He looked to the screen as the TARDIS shook. "No No No No No No NO!Almost there! Almost there! Here we go!"

As soon as the engines stopped, the Doctor ran out the door without an explanation or word.

Rose yelped in alarm. "You can't go out there, it's not safe!" She followed him out of the blue, bigger-on-the-inside box.

_Well,_ I sighed, _I guess it's just you and me, old girl._

The TARDIS hummed in agreement.


	2. Chapter 2

_**At the ceremony for the dedication of the temple of Asil, I danced .**_

_**The lanterns were lit and the crowd gave off a strong, pulsing glow that bathed me and the other dancers in an illuminating spotlight. The drummers beat out a steady rhythm and the minstrels chimed their bells. My bare feet slapped the ground, bangles around my ankles jingling, as I twirled, my black hair swirling around me, my face becoming sticky with perspiration from the exertion. As I spun, My green eyes caught a slim figure on the edge of the crowd.**_

_**He was thin, not stick-like, but definitely not bulky. A long brown overcoat covered a blue pinstriped suit and he had strange red shoes on his feet. At his side was a woman with strangely dark skin. She had black hair pulled behind her head. Both sported a wide grin as they watched us dance intently.**_

_**The beat changed. Instead of twirling we now leap and jumped and glided with all of the grace of those who had danced since birth. With a final pirouette on the tips of my toes, the music came to an end, and I finished right in front of the strange man, who was looking into my eyes with an intensity of which I had never seen.**_

_**"Hello!" He greeted cheerfully. The woman beside him grinned.**_

_**Hello, I responded carefully.**_

_**"That was wonderful!" She exclaimed, her eyes full of excitement.**_

_**Thank you, I nodded my head graciously. We rehearsed for eleven months.**_

_**The man in the suit gave me a smile. "And what might your name be?"**_

_**The woman looked confused. "But, Doctor-"**_

_**He gave her a warning look. I raised an eyebrow, befuddled.**_

_**Shira. I answered. Shira Lynn.**_

I glanced up as Rose and the Doctor ran back into the TARDIS.

_Hello again, earthling,_ I greeted.

She smiled back, full of excitement. "Hello, Shira!"

_Did you have fun, Doctor? _He nodded. _Wonderful. Perhaps now you can tell me what is going on? _My voice was deadly calm.

"There was plastic!" The girl explained excitedly."It was alive!"

I raised an eyebrow. My grey eyes focused on the Doctor.

"Er… Nestene Duplicate." He was sheepish. I nodded, knowing that that was all I was going to get out of him at the moment.

_Alright._

The Doctor shot me a grin and turned back to his new blonde companion. "Right then, Rose Tyler - you tell me, where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. What's it going to be?"

"Forwards." She replied with a little hesitance. The Doctor pressed a few buttons.

"How far?"

"Um, one hundred years." She picked a random number. The Doctor pushed a button and pulled a lever. I gave a small smile as I felt the TARDIS moving, lurching for a moment before we set back down.

"There you go, step outside those doors, it's the twenty-second century."

"You're kidding." Rose had a smile on her face.

"That's a bit boring though," said the Doctor. "Do you want to go further?"

"Fine by me!"

The familiar shaking starts up again. I watch the two smile and grin at one another as it stops once more.

The Doctor nodded to the door as I floated just behind his shoulder. "Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the New Roman Empire."

Rose gazed at him in amusement. "You think you're so impressive." She teased.

"I AM so impressive!" He insisted.

_Sure you are, darling_. I reached out to tap the back of his head. My pale, transparent fingers came in contact with his hair… Then passed through. Quickly, I pulled my arm back, curling my fingers into my palm and pressing it to my chest. Feeling a lump in my throat, I fought back tears as I watched the two interact, a deep longing seated in my belly.

"You wish!"

"Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go!" He revved the engine up, pumping a lever quickly. "Hold on!"

The TARDIS hurdles once more, then stops.

Rose looked nervous. "Where are we?"

The Doctor held out his arm, making a wide gesture to the door.

"What's out there?"

The Doctor waved his arm again. Rose, grinning in nervous excitement, steps outside the doors tentatively.


End file.
